


an odd bedside manner

by Ashling



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - World War I, Dialogue Heavy, M/M, Not Beta Read, Peaky Blinders Rarepair Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 07:39:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17618243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashling/pseuds/Ashling





	an odd bedside manner

**Author's Note:**

  * For [twistedrunes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/twistedrunes/gifts).



Alfie woke from a dreamless sleep to his name. “Wot?” he demanded, sitting up in his hospital bed and suppressing a massive yawn.

“Someone here to see you, Captain,” said the nurse. “A rabbi?” 

He kept a straight face at the extreme hesitancy in her voice when she said _rabbi_. She was too young to make fun of, at least to her face. “Well, send him in. About fucking time.”

The nurse pulled back the curtain, revealing his guest. 

“Ah, yes. _That_ rabbi,” said Alfie. 

The nurse looked from Alfie to his guest, and then back again. “Do you need anything?” she said, after a minute.

“No, love, we’ll be just fine,” Alfie said.

Jeremiah drew the curtain closed behind him, then walked over to lean on the one solid wall that Alfie’s room had, to Alfie’s right.

“Well, rabbi?” Alfie said, after a minute.

“Will you?” said Jeremiah.

“Wot’s that?”

“Will you be all right?”

“I’ll be able to fuckin’ walk, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“That’s not what I’m asking.”

“I’ll be grand.” Alfie watched Jeremiah steadily out of the corner of his eye; Jeremiah didn’t look at him. “Oh ye of little faith.”

Jeremiah cracked a half-smile at that.

“Almost there,” said Alfie, but then Jeremiah’s smile disappeared, and Alfie sighed. “Why didn’t you come sooner, hm?”

“We can’t all be fearless.”

“But I know you’re not a coward.”

“It’s different, this.”

Alfie turned his head and studied Jeremiah, carefully. The bags under his eyes, the slump of his shoulders; it was hard to separate a man’s interior from the sheer weight of the trenches. “Why would you be afraid of me?”

“I’m not very good at apologies.”

“Aw, I don’t believe that. Aren’t you lot always confessing and repenting?”

“Not a Catholic, Alfie.”

“Catholic, Anglican, it’s all the same.”

“Not an Anglican either.” This time, Jeremiah’s smile was brief but real.

“Then what the hell are you?” Alfie demanded.

“I believe the official English name for my denomination is _savage_. ‘Dirty nonconformist’ works in a pinch.”

Alfie pointed at him. “A nonconformist you most certainly are, my friend.”

“It comes with the territory.”

“Good news is that you don’t have anything to apologize to me for.”

Jeremiah shook his head. “Jack Kinney is dead. Died from his wounds the same day he arrived in the hospital. Tommy was right. I should’ve taken you instead.”

“Nah.”

“I was being foolish, thinking I could save him when he was that far gone.”

“You had to try.”

“I was also being selfish.”

“Jeremiah. Mate. You’ve never done a selfish thing in your fucking _life_.”

“I chose him over you for the escape because if I had picked you, I didn’t want anyone looking too hard at why.”

Alfie said nothing.

“I’m sorry.”

Still nothing.

Jeremiah finally looked him in the eye. “It was a fucking mistake. I’m sorry. I didn’t–I’m sorry.”

Alfie held that gaze as hard as he possibly could. “I know you’re big on forgiveness, Jeremiah, but there’s nothing to forgive. I was never angry at you. I never had any reason to be. The kid deserved a chance, and you gave it to him, and it didn’t pan out, but that’s just how it fucking goes, innit? We’re all right, you and I. We’re all right.”

Jeremiah exhaled, long and slow. “All right,” he said softly.

Neither of them looked away.

“You know what?” Alfie said, after a minute.

“Mm?”

“There’s nobody looking too hard now. Nobody looking at all, in fact.”

“You’re down a leg, Alfie.”

“Don’t need two legs for everything, Jeremiah. In fact, I don’t need two legs for most things.”

“You’re mad.”

“You’re a pacifist, which is worse.”

“Not worse, just rarer.”

“Come here.”

Jeremiah, after a moment’s hesitation, obliged. He tasted like those terrible clove cigarettes, but Alfie wasn’t complaining. And Alfie knew his new-grown beard must scratch, but Jeremiah wasn’t complaining either; he pressed his hands into Alfie’s neck and kissed him harder. 

“Hey, guess what?” Alfie murmured, some time later. 

“What?”

“Made you say _fuck_.” 

“I’ll have my revenge one of these days, Alfie.”

“I’m counting on it.”


End file.
